Behavioural Supports Ontario (BSO) focuses on providing quality care for older adults with complex and challenging mental health, dementia or other neurological conditions.
St. Joseph’s Villa has been the Human Resources lead for this program for Ontario Health West since 2012. The Ministry of Long Term Care’s local investment facilitates the hiring of nurses, personal support workers and other health care providers. These staff are then trained in the specialized skills necessary to support the 82 Long -Term Care Homes (LTCH) within Hamilton, Niagara, Haldimand, Brant and Burlington.
The BSO trained employees provide necessary support to the LTCHs to assist in managing care for older adults who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing responsive behaviours due to their cognitive impairment.
BSO is a collaboration between Ontario Health West, Alzheimer Society of Ontario, Health Quality Ontario, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Long-Term Care.
Our HNHB BSO programs for Long term care is now a “Best Practice Spotlight Organization” as designated by the RNAO (Registered Nurses Association of Ontario).
A Best Practice Spotlight Organization (BPSO®) is a health care or academic institution that partners with the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) to implement and evaluate the RNAO’s evidence-based Best Practice Guidelines (BPGs). This initiative fosters a culture of evidence-based practice to improve patient and provider experiences, optimize health outcomes, and lower the cost of care by preventing complications. Organizations become BPSOs by selecting specific guidelines relevant to their patient populations and developing strategies to integrate them into their practices, often through the work of designated “Best Practice Champions”.
BSO’s BPSO journey has included implementing best practices for the following guidelines:
Person- and Family-Centred Care | RNAO.ca
- This guideline promotes evidence-based practices to help nurses and members of their interdisciplinary teams become more adept at practising person- and family-centred care. This evidence-based approach, combined with a perspective that recognizes the place of the person at the centre of health care, will improve individuals’ experience of and satisfaction with the care and services provided within the health system.
Pain: Prevention, assessment and management, Fourth edition | RNAO.ca
- The purpose of this fourth edition guideline is to provide nurses and the inter-professional team with evidence-based guidance for the prevention, assessment, and management of all types of pain across the lifespan.
Delirium, Dementia, and Depression in Older Adults: Assessment and Care | RNAO.ca
- This best practice guidelines (BPG) outlines recommendations for the assessment and care of delirium, dementia and depression in older adults. The focus is on the provision of effective, compassionate and dignified care, and on managing any presenting signs, symptoms or behaviours.
Professionalism in Nursing | RNAO.ca
- The purpose of this best practice guideline (BPG) is: to identify the concept of professionalism as a guiding tenet that enhances outcomes for nurses, patients, organizations and systems; to define the attributes of professionalism; to identify and discuss the evidence related to each attribute of professionalism; and to provide strategies for success.
Engaging Clients Who Use Substances | RNAO.ca
- The purpose of this best practice guideline is to provide nurses and the inter-professional team across all care settings with evidence-based recommendations related to assessment and interventions for individuals aged 11 years and older who use substances and may be at risk for or experiencing a substance use disorder.
Transitions in Care and Services | RNAO.ca
- The purpose of this best practice guideline (BPG) is to provide evidence-based recommendations for nurses and members of the interprofessional team, organizations and the health system. These recommendations support safe and effective transitions in care for pediatric and adult persons and their support network.
